Rod disk cutting machine



Nov. 11, 1952 L. BOOTH ROD DISK CUTTING vMACHINE Filed July 9, 1945 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 HT'ORNEY L. BOOTH ROD DISK CUTTING MACHINE Nov. ll, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1945 JNVENToR. Eo/v BOOTH.

ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1952 L. BOOTH Rob DISK CUTTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 9, 1945 IN VEN TOR. L. EON BOOT H.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 11, 1952 L. BOOTH Ron msxy CUTTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 9, 1945 1N V EN TOR. LEO/V EOTH.

BY MW ATTOENE Y Nov. l1, 1952 l.. BOOTH Ron DISK CUTTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 9, 1945 D www IN MA O Patented Nov. 11, 1952 if if TENT OFF-ICE R01) DISK CUTTING MACHINE Leon Booth,` New York, N. Y., assigner to Beacon kvMa'chi'ne'Works, New York, N. Y., a lirm Application July 9, 1945, serial-N0. 603,897

3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines lfor cutting disks of cork rods and Vsimilar materials.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a very practical, efficient, economical and relatively simple machinerfor cutting disks from cork rods and similar materials.

It is another object of the present yinvention to feed the cork rods by gravity towards a plurality of cutting knives, thus eliminating complicated feeding mechanism. y

It is a still `further object of this invention to provide a machine-of theclass described in which weights are added over the cork rods to` facilitate the aforementioned gravity feed, and to providemeans whereby the said weights may be simultaneously lifted for reloading with new cork rods.

Yet another objectlof this invention is to feed the cork rods to be sliced through slots in the sides of the .nachine. e

A further object ofl this invention is to provide means for sharpening the cutting edges of the rotating knives `and to provide means for adjusting the sharpening devices in relation to the worn cutting knives.

A vfurther object of this invention is to provide a continuous track in sections Afor support .of the cork rods to be sliced, portions of said track being vertically adjustable in accordance with the thickness of the cork .disk desired and also being horizontally adjustable for the purpose of taking up any gaps'created by the wearing down of the rotating knives. A

It is a still further object of this invention to provide signal means whereby the attention of the attendant may be attracted to the machine as soon as the first rod in the set of rods has been completely sliced, thus permitting the raising of the weights and the insertion of a complete new set of cork rods into the machine.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawings which illustrate a certain form of embodiment thereof. This form is shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention to give satisfactoryy and reliable results. It is to be understood that the instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously -arranged and organized and-thatthe invention is not limited to the vprecise arrangement and organization `of the instrumentalities .as herein shown and described.

In the drawings:

flig` 1 is an elevational view ,partly in section of a disk slicing inachinemade inacco'rdance with the invention;

2 Fig. 2 is a -top yplan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the lower left hand o'f Fig. 2, showing adjustments made to sharpening means to accommodate the worn `down rotating knives;

vsaid track with respect to worn down rotating knives; l

rFig-v6 is `a View yof a typical cork rod to be sliced yby the machine;

Fig. 7 is -a plan view of one ofthe sliced disks;

Fig. 8 is `an edge view of Figl;

Fig. 9 is a View in section of one of the rod carrying tubes, the weights lifted, and the new rod in :process of insertion;

Fig. 10 is ya view similar to Fig. 9, 'showing the rod in .cutting position;

Fig. 1l is a sectional view taken on lin'es l l-I l of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 isa -side View of a .portion of the frame showing arota'ting knife, its driving motor and the sharpening means all .in relative position;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged top plan View of the sharpening means used on top of the rotating knife;

Aprovided with anti-frictional bearings 3'2, 33.

A lthrust bearing 34 is provided on top of bearing 3l to accommodate the .weight of the cagelik'e structure 35 formed .by the vertically disposed spaced tubes 3'6, the lower supporting frame 31 and the upper supporting :ring 38. Tubes 36 `are preferably locked individually in the upper supporting ring by means of screws or bolts Y39. The center of lower supporting frame 31 is pro- 'vided with an elongated sleevestructure acting as a bearing 0. Shaft 3B passes through and rotates with bearing 40 upward and ybeyond the top of the opposite 'supportingjring Y38. A spider or slide 4I Acoinpri'sing a plurality of legs 42 and a central bearing 43 isslidably rmounted'on shaft 30. Secured to legs 42 is 'a ring 44, -the purpose of which will be described later on. A motor 50 having a reduction unit 5| drives shaft 30 by a chain or belt 52 and the pulleys 53, 54. Motor 50 is adjustably secured by a bracket 5 5 to the horizontal flange 56 of circular frame 28 by bolts 51. An adjusting bolt 58 may be provided to maintain the belt 52 under proper tension.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, tubes 36 are each provided with a cut-out or slot 65 to facilitate the insertion of the cork rod 66. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. Ring 44 secured to spider legs 42, as shown in Fig. 9, is in its raised position,

thus lifting the weights 61 clear of the slots 65 and permitting the insertion of a new supply of cork rods. After all rods 66 have been inserted in tubes 36, spider 4| with its ring 44 is again lowered into the position shown in Fig. 10, thus causing weights 61 to bear on top of each cork rod 66. Weights 61 are provided with two lugs 58, 69, the lower one of which is provided with a horizontal pin 10, while upper lug 68 is provided with a horizontal pin 1| having the extension 12. As the cage 35 rotates and as the weights 61 drop with the cutting away of the cork rods, the lowest of extensions 12 will hit against a bell lever 13, and because ofthe rotating movement `of the cage 35, bell lever 13 will be caused to move away from bell 14 secured to frame 28, and after clearing bell lever 13, its spring 1'5 wil cause it to return to its original position, `thus causing the bell hammer 16 to strike bell 14, giving a signal to an attendant that the supply of cork rods are running low. Tubes 36, in addition to slots 65,

have each a slot 11 through which protrude weight lugs 68, 69, the horizontal pins `1I) and 1| keeping the weight within the tube 36 while passing slot 65. Y Y

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, horizontal flange 56 of circular frame 28 has swingably mounted thereon an upper Sharpener 80 and a lower sharpener 82 for each circular knife 8|, the latter having a hub 18 connected to the shaft of motor |00. These Sharpeners, as illustrated in Figs. l2and 13consistof the sharpening wheels 83, 84 slidablyV mounted on adjustable bearing blocks 85, 86.Y Vertical adjustments of the sharpening wheels 83, 84 within bearingV blocks 85, 86 are made by means of screws 81, 88 having the knobs 89. Bearings 90, 9| forsharpening wheel shafts 92, 93 are secured to brackets 94 sliding within groove 95. Vertical plates 96 and horizontal plates 91 keep bracket 94 in place. It is the intention to `keep upper Sharpener 80 always in horizontal position, while lower Sharpener 82 is adjusted to an angle conforming to the angularity 98 of the knife blade 8 I. This adjustment is made by means of an adjusting bolt 99. Each rotating knife 8| is preferably driven by a separate motor mounted on a bracket |0l.V The constant sharpening of the edges of the rotating knives 8| will cause the said knives to gradually reduce their diameter, thus making it essential that the Sharpeners be adjusted. This adjustment is made possible by mounting the sharpeners 80, 82 by bolts |02, |03 around which bearing blocks 85, 86 may be swung. The sharpening wheels 83, 84 are driven only by rotation of the power driven circular knives 8|.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it is essential to support the cork rods 66 during their transition from one circular knife 8| to the other during movement of cage 35 in'the direction of arrow |04 (Fig. 2).- Power-driven knives 8| rotate in the direction of arrow |05. VThe track for supporting rods 66 during transition from one circular knife 8| to the next adjacent knife 8| consists of two parts, namely, segment |06 and complementary segment |01. Both segments are adjustably mounted on horizontal ange 56 by bolts |08, |09, respectively.V Bolts |08, |09 pass through holes ||0, V| in flange 56, and through slots ||2, ||3 in ange members ||4, ||5 of segments |06, |01. Knives 8| cut cork rods 66 against an adjustable circular member ||6 rotatably mounted Y on a pin ||1 secured to segment |06. A flattened surface ||8 is provided adjacent to the edge of knife 8|. Segments |08, |01 are provided with overlapping portions H9, |20, respectively, thus providing a continuous track for the rods 66, even though segments |06, |01 may have been spread apart during adjustment for accommodating worn (and therefore smaller diametered) knives as shown. in Fig. 5.

The surface of segment |01 always remains in the same plane as the top of knives 8|. Therefore, the segment |01 can be adjusted only horizontally. Segment |06, however, is not only adjustablein a horizontal direction (as previously stated), but also in a vertical direction. This provision is made to adjust the` desired thickness of the disks to be cut from the rod 66. This adjustment is taken care of by tongue |2| sliding in groove |22 of flange member |15, to which it is secured after adjustment by nut |23. It thus can be seen that the surface |24'of knife 8| and the surface |25 of segment member |01 form a continuous path for rods Y66; surface |26 of segment |06 is slightly lower, the distance being equivalent to the thickness of the disk to be cut, while the remaining portion of the rod travels along the surface |24 of the knife and onto the surface |25 of*l the next adjacent segment |01.

The operation is as follows; YSpider 4| is raised by Ymeans of the lifting hook |21 comprising two rods |28, cross-member |29, and eye bolt |30. Rods |28 are secured to bearing 43. A hoist or other lifting vdevice is engaged in the eye bolt |30 for the liftingfof spider 4|. YLifting spider 4| will cause ring 44 to engage weight lugs 68, thus-raising weights 61 above openings of slots 65.V Cork rods 66 are Vnow Yinserted as seen in Fig. 9. VAfter all of the tubes 36have been filled with the rods 66, the spider 4| is again lowered into the position shown in Fig. ,10, thus causing weights 61 to rest on rods 6.6. Cagerotating motor 50 and knife rrotating motors |00 are started, causing the cage to y'rotate in the direction of arrow |04, and vthe knives to rotate in the direction ofY arrow |05each rod'resting on the track |32 formed by the surface |24 of a knife 8| and the surfaces |25 of segments |01, each rod then dropping slightly to surface |26 of segment |06, reaching cutting edge |3| of knife 8|, thus causing disks 66a of desired thickness to be cut fromthesaid rod. The rod then passes again over the surface |24 ofthe next knife 8|,

Yand from there onto the surface |25 of the next segment |01, thus continuing (repeating) the travel alternatingly over a knife 8| onto segment |01, then dropping down to the surface |26 of segment |06 and passing against the cutting edge |3| of knife 8|. The uncut rod now passes again over the surface |24 of the knife 8| onto the surface |25 of the next segment |01, repeating the aforesaid operations untilall of the rods have passed continuously al1 of the Vknives atY which timeY a slice has been cut from each of the rods anduntil the rods have been completely sliced. after which, at the signal of bell 14, new rods 66 are inserted and the aforementioned operation is repeated.

A further purpose of the indicating means is to indicate when the shortest rod of the group of rods is about completely cut into disks. In other words, when the shortest rod has been cut to within about four disks from its top end, the signal would be sounded, thereby giving the operator notice to change the ow of disks from one receiving container to another container for inspection purposes, thus eliminating the requirement of inspection of all of the cut disks.

Having thus described my invention what is claim as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a rod disk cutting machine the combination, with a plurality of angularly spaced circular cutting blades disposed in a single horizontal plane and a set of revolvable vertical tubes open at the bottom, said tubes serving as guide means for rods to be sliced into disks by said cutting blades, of supporting means disposed along an annular path for said tubes directly below the open bottom thereof, said supporting means comprising a plurality of arcuate segments each extending from one of said blades to another blade following next in the direction of movement of vsaid tubes, each segment having a first portion adjacent and flush with said one blade and a second portion adjacent said other blade but de- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 512,782 Wickey Jan. 16, 1894 920,010 Bogdanffy Apr. 27, 1909 1,176,136 Demuth Mar. 21, 1916 1,320,010 Kennedy Oct. 28, 1919 1,642,081 Munrce Sept. 13, 1927 2,193,979 Ott Mar. 19, 1940 2,196,288 Binder` Apr. 9, 1940 2,274,230 Bechler Feb. 24, 1942 2,328,712 Domke Sept. 7, 1943 

